Ill. boards stall to release election candidate data

Although the deadline to run for local office was Jan. 26, the Daily Herald in Chicago has not been able to get the addresses and, in some cases, names of candidates from the Wauconda Library District, Oakbrook Terrace Township, Naperville Township and Deer Park Township.

Today's topic might sound self serving, and to a certain extent it is, but it's really all about providing you, the local voters, with what you need to know.

Here's the problem: Far too many of our municipalities, schools, libraries, parks, fire and township boards are refusing to release blatantly public information about the people who are running to represent us.

We can't tell you about these candidates and you can't learn about them yourselves if none of us can find out who they are and how we might contact them. It's as simple as that. It's a basic part of a free, working democracy.

More here.

Ask candidates about their open government stance before voting

Nice column from The Capital Times in Madison, Wis., with sample questions to ask election candidates:

Openness in government is critical to democracy. Wisconsin state law makes that clear in this high-minded preamble to the Wisconsin open meetings law:

"In recognition of the fact that a representative government of the American type is dependent upon an informed electorate, it is declared to be the policy of this state that the public is entitled to the fullest and most complete information regarding the affairs of government as it compatible with the conduct of governmental business."

How are we doing in real life? Not always so good.

That's why it's important, in an election year, to ask the candidates questions that help reveal their commitment to openness in government.

More here.

Palin's Yahoo e-mail practices echo Bush practices, expert says

Bush's White House personnel often use e-mail accounts controlled by the Republican National Committee. Now open government advocates wonder about Palin's use of a Yahoo account for official business and what her intentions were.

It's not a great idea to run a government using Yahoo! e-mail accounts.

That's the word from experts, anyway, reacting to news that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's Yahoo! e-mail had been hacked earlier this week. McCain's vice-presidential pick reportedly used the accounts to communicate with key aides about government business.

The practice is dangerous, said experts, and can run counter to laws ensuring government is open and accountable -- a tough point for Palin, who has made "open government" a catchphrase of her political identity.

More here.

Open records request denied for e-mails between government aides, Todd Palin

The reason for the secrecy? The e-mails deal with policy deliberations and could also reveal more controversy surrounding Sarah Palin. The decision is currently being appealed.

An open records request was initially filed in June for copies of the incoming and outgoing e-mails of two top Palin aides suspected of using business hours to engage in political activity. The documents Palin's office turned over to Andree McLeod, an independent government watchdog in Alaska, revealed possible ethics and hiring laws violations but also raised an interesting question: Why were 1100 e-mails, many of which were written by or sent to Palin, withheld?

Dozens of e-mails exchanged among several government employees and Todd Palin, the husband of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin who has no formal role in her administration, are not being turned over in response to an open records request in the state.

The e-mails are being kept secret ostensibly because they deal with policy deliberations between the governor and her staff, the contents of which do not have to be disclosed to the public. However, Todd Palin's presence in the e-mail chains seems to belie concerns that their contents need to remain strictly in the domain of the state government.

Read more.

More coverage of this issue:

• Appeal filed in the case of Sarah Palin's secret emails; Mother Jones
• Sarah Palin's secret e-mails; Mother Jones
• Anchorage activist seeks Palin records; Star Tribune (Minn.)
• Governor is asked to release e-mails; Washington Post
  
• Palin e-mails show intense interest in trooper's penalty; Washington Post